Running After My Fate
by aboywhowantedtobegod
Summary: SAO/ The Road crossover. At the end of the world, when modern society is stripped apart and all that is left is anarchy and chaos, the only thing they have is each other. Rated T for violence. Cover Image is a screenshot from the film adaptation of "The Road"


Kirito trudged through the thick, grey ash, his heavy knapsack weighing him down. He was exhausted. Bandits had been tracking him for three days already, and a combination of malnutrition and lack of sleep were starting to take its toll on him. He had been pushing hard forward, never stopping lest his pursuers catch up to him.

He only stopped when he heard a dull thud and a silent grunt behind him. He turned around to find Asuna on the floor, looking back up at him miserably. She was in an equally worse state. Her thick jacket and trousers were torn and ragged, her hair was a wild tangle of ash and dirt, half of her face was caked in thick dirt.

It was a sight that tore Kirito's heart apart.

"We can stop for a little bit if you like?" He politely offered, though they both knew that was a dangerous gamble. She shook her head, and tried to get up, but as she tried to push herself up, her arms collapsed in on themselves and she flopped back to the floor. Kirito walked over, while he flipped his bag pack to rest on his front instead of his back. Bending down beside Asuna, he slipped his arms gently under her form.

"What are you-"

"Jump onto my back," Kirito said, cutting her off. Were it not for the softness in his voice, Asuna may have confused it for a rude order more than a polite request. Nodding once, she adjusted herself so that Kirito could easily pick her up. With a small inhale, Kirito picked up his lover, and stood up straight, and instantly felt disheartened. He expected some sort of resistance from Asuna's weight, but if anything, the bag pack resting on his front was heavier. He knew they hadn't been eating well the past few days, but he didn't realize that Asuna was this bad. He tried to put it to the back of his mind, and focused his effort on just moving forward.

"The scenery's changed a bit," chuckled Asuna, before coughing softly, snapping Kirito from his thoughts.

"What do you mean?" Kirito asked, only turning his head slightly so he could see Asuna in the periphery of his vision.

"I was just thinking about the lake in Aincrad," she smiled. He thought about it for a second, then laughed aloud. The grey falling ash, darkened skies, and dead trees certainly were different to their last few happy days in that floating castle. But then he thought more about Aincrad, and feel into a state of hopelessness. In those days, he at least had the strength to fight back against all of the Kayaba's monsters, but here…he was defenceless. He looked back at Asuna, and found a new level of determination. He had nearly lost her once in Aincrad, he refused to let it happen again.

A soft wooden snap caused him to jump, and nearly sprint in the other direction. When he saw what caused the sound, he tried to but tripped on his own feet, causing him and Asuna to tumble to the ground. He flipped himself over, and looked at them. Three burly men all carrying steel pipes and knives. Kirito reached for his pistol, and instantly flicked the safety off. The hand gun had five bullets, and the first two shots missed their marks. The third one struck home in one of the attacker's forehead, dropping him instantly. The fourth hit the second bandit straight in the gut, causing him to fall to the floor, rolling around in pain. The final attacker was almost upon Kirito when he let loose his final bullet, hitting him straight in the chest. The man grunted, but still sprinted towards Kirito. A small sound came from behind Kirito and he saw the small form of Asuna lunge towards the bandit.

She was fast.

But not fast enough.

The bandit saw her attack coming and he plunged his blade deep into her gut, then threw her aside. Every fibre in Kirito's being was on fire, as he got up and tackled the large man. Though he was almost double Kirito's size, he wasn't expecting Kirito to make a move so soon and the surprise knocked him over, making his knife fall. Kirito was small but he had rage fuelled speed on his side. He grasped the knife, and plunged it deep into the attacker's chest, then pulled it out and continued to stab the man, long after he was dead. Only when the knife felt heavy in his hands and his arms gave way did he finally stop. Looking over to the small form of Asuna, he found the girl still moving, but only just. She was sat in red ash, stained from her blood. Crawling towards her, he picked up her slim form in his arms, tears in his eyes.

"Asuna…" he weeped.

"It's alright…." She weakly whispered. "It's only a game. End play test" she ordered finally, and Kirito's nightmare faded back into reality.

 **oo0oo**

"So, what did you think of the game? Come on now, be honest,"

It had been two hours since Kirito's scare. After pulling off the nerve gear, Asuna and Kirito were asked to write a full report on a new game coming out. It was apocalyptic themed and was called "The Road". What they were doing now was merely a formality. Even though they had wrote a detailed report of their game play, the game's creator had invited the couple out for tea since he wanted to hear for himself.

"A bit too real for my taste," Answered Kirito. Though he knew it was only a game, seeing Asuna get stabbed and left in a pool of blood brought on bad memories of Aincrad. It was only after he yanked the nerve gear off his head and ran to Asuna's side and watched her get up unharmed that he felt the danger had well and truly passed.

"But that is the whole goal of this game! Look, have you ever read The Road by Cormac McCarthy?" The creator asked.

Kirito simply shook his head once, angry. Though Asuna was safe and he willingly took part in this test, it still felt so real. The creator however didn't seem to notice as he launched into a full blown lecture.

"Well, I highly recommend you should, Kazuto. It is truly a masterpiece of fiction. I feel it captures not only a beautiful post apocalyptic world but also the feeling of dread and hopelessness-"

By this point, Kirito had turned off the babbling man, and turned to Kirito. It was hard to believe that only a couple of hours ago, she looked to be on death's door, and yet, here she was now, alive and well. Smiling finally, Kirito softly slipped his fingers through Asuna's, and squeezed tight. He looked deep into her eyes as if to convey a message.

 _Please don't leave me,_ said the message. Asuna simply smiled back and rubbed her thumb gently over his palm. Though it was a simple gesture, it spoke volumes more to Kirito than words ever could.

 _I won't. Ever._

(Notes: Ok, so this was a stupid little idea I had. I wanted it to be originally be longer, but I thought this was a nice length, and I am finally glad I got into words. Maybe not my best piece ever, but I thought it would be an interesting idea to see Kirito and Asuna within a post apocalyptic setting. Tell me what you guys think and ADIOS!)


End file.
